Topeka — Gov. Mark Parkinson on Monday defended the state’s system of supervising higher education in the wake of an audit that found numerous questionable financial dealings at Kansas State University.
Since release of the audit June 19, some lawmakers have said the state must monitor state universities more closely.
In Kansas, the nine-member Board of Regents oversees the state’s six state universities, including Kansas University, and provides general oversight of 19 community colleges, Washburn University and six technical schools.
In many states, major universities have their own governing boards while there is a statewide coordinating board.
But on Monday, Gov. Mark Parkinson defended Kansas’ system of administering higher education, and said he saw no reason to change it.
“When a problem exists and people think that you need to throw everything out that you’ve had that’s good and start completely over, that’s where you usually get into trouble,” Parkinson said.
“When a problem exists, you fix the problem, and then you move on, and I think we’ve fixed the problem through audits,” he said.
The regents had ordered audits as “exit analyses” at KSU, KU and Pittsburg State University because all three chief executives at those institutions were stepping down. But after the KSU audit was released, the regents decided to order audits at the remaining regents universities, which include Wichita State University, Emporia State University and Fort Hays State University.
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toe (anonymous) says…
These Regents have just been political spoils jobs and have been for many many years. If you are politically connected and give enough to the winning party, you get a cushy job on the Board of Regents.
kusp8 (anonymous) says…
Since when did the Regents oversee Washburn? I was always under the impression that Washburn did its own thing because the Regents didn't want to incorporate them into the system. Am I wrong?
magnus (anonymous) says…
Chuckabee24,
Washburn U used to be owned and run by the City of Topeka making it quite unique in the nation, but that changed in 1999.
Copied from the Washburn University Wikipedia entry:
"Formerly a municipal university, the university's primary funding was moved from city property tax to county sales tax sources in 1999, with the school retaining status as a municipal subdivision of the state. Washburn is governed by its own nine-member Board of Regents.
The Kansas Board of Regents annually selects one of its members to serve on the [9 member] Washburn Board. Members of the Board (with the exception of the Kansas Board of Regents' appointee) serve staggered four-year terms.[1]"
And as the article notes, the KBOR's role is limited to "general oversight" in terms of the community colleges, Washburn U, and the six technical schools.
IraMeanwell (anonymous) says…
The Governor is simply engaging in political doublespeak.
“When a problem exists and people think that you need to throw everything out that you’ve had that’s good and start completely over, that’s where you usually get into trouble,” Parkinson said.
“When a problem exists, you fix the problem, and then you move on, and I think we’ve fixed the problem through audits,” he said.
I could agree if what led to the audits was the only problem. However, the Regents schools, and system, are buried in problems. The system needs rebuilt. Period.